A course to equip non-technical professionals with a critical understanding of how to read, interpret, and apply models to energy, climate, and net-zero action plans. Sessions held throughout the year: join our waiting list to learn more.
Decarbonizing the economy by 2050 requires profoundly transforming Canada’s complex energy systems. In the absence of a crystal ball, models can help us design the future we want, projecting the response of our energy system to different policy and economic scenarios and helping to calculate the best path forward. When applied effectively, models can help organizations evaluate and advocate for strong climate policies and investment decisions.
This online course is designed to equip non-technical experts of all levels with the skills to read, interpret, and apply models to organizational goals and strategies. Over two days of online instruction and discussion, you will build the skills to understand and interpret energy models, communicate a business case for energy modelling, and confidently integrate modelling into your strategic plans and decisions.
Prerequisites: A background in climate, energy, environment, or sustainability planning. No math or technical skills are required for this course.
This course is for you if:
Contact us at education@transitionaccelerator.ca if you have any questions.
What are models and how do we use them? We will review types of models, how they are applied in the race toward net zero, examples of powerful energy and climate models, and outcomes achieved when models are applied properly to policy and business decisions.
We will cover how models are built, including data inputs, outputs, and linked variables. We will look at some leading models of the Canadian energy system, interpret their results, and introduce hypotheses for applications and action.
What do we DO with our modelling results? We’ll discuss best practices for applying models to strategy, policy, and climate action plans, and how the depth of the energy transformation needed means rethinking how we use models.
What are models and how do we use them? We will review types of models, how they are applied in the race toward net zero, examples of powerful energy and climate models, and outcomes achieved when models are applied properly to policy and business decisions.
We will cover how models are built, including data inputs, outputs, and linked variables. We will look at some leading models of the Canadian energy system, interpret their results, and introduce hypotheses for applications and action.
What do we DO with our modelling results? We’ll discuss best practices for applying models to strategy, policy, and climate action plans, and how the depth of the energy transformation needed means rethinking how we use models.
Normand Mousseau, PhD, is a professor of physics at Université de Montréal, scientific director of the Institut de l’énergie Trottier and member of the executive committee at the Energy Modelling Hub, a national organization designed to empower evidence-based energy policymaking.
Simon Langlois-Bertrand is an associate researcher at the Institut de l’énergie Trottier (IET). He holds a Ph.D. in international affairs and degrees in political science, as well as in industrial and computer engineering. He specializes in energy and environmental policy issues and has taught political science and international relations at Concordia University, UQAM, McGill University, as well as Carleton University.
He is the main author of the Canadian Energy Outlook, and his work at the IET analyzes the political, technical and social challenges associated with the energy transition, as well as sociotechnical transitions toward net-zero societies more broadly. Simon acts in an advisory role to the Transition Accelerator’s Electrification work and is an integral part of the Electrifying Canada initiative.
Éloïse Edom, M. A. Sc., is a research associate at the Institut de l’énergie Trottier of Polytechnique Montréal. She works mainly on projects related to the electrification and decarbonization of Canadian society, at the provincial and national levels. She previously worked on the Energy Modelling Initiative that led to the creation of the Energy Modelling Hub.
